


Pull my cracker

by halfwayslion (livesybaby)



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Christmas day one shot, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:41:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21513181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livesybaby/pseuds/halfwayslion
Summary: it's Christmas 2019 at the Mitchell's
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 3
Kudos: 62





	Pull my cracker

"okay, okay my turn now!" Callum laughed, a little tipsy from the extra shot he and Ben had stolen from the kitchen not ten minutes before. It had been a surprising turn of events recently and if you'd have asked him last year the likelihood of celebrating a Mitchell family Christmas, Callum would have laughed so hard he'd have pissed himself - either from the total absurdity of it all or the fact that Phil Mitchell was enough to scare even the likes of Shirley, and boy! Did she make his knees knock sometimes.

"I want to pull the cracker!" came a small excited voice from his immediate left - Lexi had become a huge part of his life, both from his involvement with Ben and Jay's sort-of relationship with Lola. They were all becoming a weird sort of dysfunctional family, if Callum dared to label it as that - though he wasn't sure how Ben saw it all, as closed off as he was. 

The table cheered as the cracker split and Lexi made a lunge for the red party hat folded up inside, a tiny glittery hair comb taking second priority as Callum reached out for the slip of paper everyone else had been waiting for. 

"..'ang on babe-.." Ben blurted, before being silenced by his daughter reaching over to plonk to party hat on his head - leaving just enough distraction for Callum to walk straight into the biggest punchline of the year.

"what do ya call a bloke who gets both his gaffer's wife and daughter pregnant?.." Callum reddened as he trailed off at the end, unable to stop himself from glancing up at the rest of the dinner guests.

Sharon had tears in her eyes, Keanu's stoic expression faltering slightly, Ben had his hand in his hair as he stared down into his lap, Phil was stony faced as he grunted out "I don't know Halfway, what would you call 'im?"

"..I-..er-.." Callum stuttered, glancing helplessly at Ben who swallowed thickly before mumbling "Lex, why don't you go with Mummy to see if it's started snowing yet?"

It was awkward and long as the two girls made their not-so swift exits, Callum didn't dare look up from his trembling hands - already aware that all eyes were on him from the moment he'd excitedly reached for that slip of paper. 

"What's going on?" Louise huffed anxiously, eyes flitting around the table like this wasn't about to make her entire world implode

"Callum's telling us his joke" Phil stated calmly, looking over expectantly 

"I-.. I don't think-.." Callum started nervously

"I think you've got something to say-.." Phil interrupted

"Dad, look-.. Me and Cal' are just gonna-.." Ben rose from his seat, standing behind Callum and fisting his jumper sleeve

"no ones leaving until I hear what's on that slip of paper!" Phil's voice boomed, making most of the guests gasp 

Callum took a deep breath as he unfolded the slip, his fingers fumbling around as Ben's fingertips squeezed his shoulders from behind - he glanced at the answer two, three times before he awkwardly announced -

"Keanu.. It-.. It says-.." Callum swallowed "it's-.. That's what the answer says -.. Keanu.."

What happened in the hours after that sort of went in a blur through Callum's head. Callum Highway, the bloke who's been to warzones and seen things civilians couldn't imagine - trembling from the sight of his sort-of father-in-law throwing a lad through a 50-inch telly, his daughter giving birth on the kitchen floor while his wife is nowhere to be seen, passport in her handbag. 

-

"well that was a shit-show.." Ben spoke quietly, taking a seat on the swing next to his boyfriend "at least Lou knows Lisa's not as mad as we thought-.."

"is that supposed to be funny?" 

"well I did think it was a little bit of a laugh-.."

"do you know how humiliated I was, Ben?" Callum fumed "my First time when I actually felt like I might be accepted somewhere and-.."

"it wasnt your fault Cal'-.."

"damn right it wasn't my fault!" Callum exploded, standing and turning to point a shaky finger at his boyfriend "I know it was you who set that up!"

Bens face dropped "it wasnt suppose to.."

"what? Ruin your family's Christmas-.. Make me look like a total idiot?"

"Babe-.."

"is that why you invited me? To be some fall guy for your big plan?" Callum huffed "and here's me thinking you actually wanted us to have our first Christmas together-.."

Ben lunged forward, planting his hand over the taller mans mouth as the both stumbled together

"will you shut up for five fucking minutes you absolute doughnut!?" 

Callum's eyebrows raised as Ben pulled his hand away slowly

"I invited you because I wanted to spend Christmas with ya.. You, me, Lex.. I wanted it to be special-.." he sighed bringing his hand down his face exasperatedly "i-.. I love you ya plank!"

"You.. W-what?"

"I love ya.." Ben whispered, looking up into his eyes desperately "I have for a while and-.. And this isn't how I wanted to tell ya.. I'm not Good at all that romantic stuff-.."

"could have put it in a Christmas cracker-.." Callum pointed out, getting a slap on the chest in return

"it wasnt supposed to be your cracker, but Lexi messed them all up - said she wanted Dad's and then it got all fucked-.."

"I love you too"

"..-and I'm really sorry because I didn't want to make you feel like that and-.."

Callum huffed a laugh under his breath before tugging Ben in by the collar of his shirt and planting their lips firmly together.

"ah-..oh.." Ben mumbled against his lips before sinking into the kiss, his fingertips sliding up his boyfriends chest. 

"I said-.. That I love you too" Callum whispered against his lips as he pulled away gently "you'd have known if you weren't talking at 120mph"

"i-.. Wow.. Am I forgiven then?"

"hmm.. I'd say that was a pretty Good Christmas present, but you've still got a lot of making up to do"

"well that's helpful, because I left your actual Christmas present at Dads and I'm giving it at least a week until we go back there" Ben sighed exaggeratedly "fancy a lodger for a week or so?"

"stay as long as you want as long as you keep telling me you love me"

"I love you, Callum Highway" Ben whispered, his cheeks glowing from the winter air 

"and I love you, Ben Mitchell.. Now how about we go back to mine and finish this Christmas in style?"

And you could say they did, true Ballum style.


End file.
